TITLE: Batman Incorporated Issue #8
YEAR: April 2013
COMPANY: DC Comics
Writer: Grant Morrison
Artist: Chris Burnham & Jason Masters
Colorist: Nathan Fairbairn
Letterer: Taylor Esposito
Assistant Editor: Rickey Purdin
Batman is created by Bob Kane
“Batman Incorporated” was another DC Comic Batman title which focused on Bruce Wayne returning (after being presumed dead) and wanting to take the war on crime to the next level by franchising and drafting, training and commanding a global team of heroes known as Batman Incorporated.
Written by Grant Morrison, the first series focused on Bruce Wayne sporting a new costume, while Dick Grayson was still as Batman. The first series lasted for eight issues plus a one-shot.
But it was the second series that would shock fans as Batman and Damian must deal with Talia planning to take over Gotham and her network of Leviathan agents are working to make it happen throughout the city.
Damian has a bounty on his head and with Leviathian invading Gotham City and Batman had told Alfred to not let him out.
As Batman is chained up and unable to leave and Talia telling him that she will get his revenge, Nightwing is surprised when Robin comes to assist in defeating Leviathan.
As Red Robin goes to check on people at a building site, they start attacking him and it appears that the employees are part of Leviathan.
And it no doubt made this volume exciting and entertaining to read. But for those who despised the violence that comics were now headed, felt DC Comics may have went too far.
But coming to Red Robin’s aid is Robin and coming to Robin’s aid is Nightwing.
When Nightwing sees a behemoth come out of the elevator, they try to fight him but a double punch doesn’t phase him. Nightwing is thrown hard and Robin takes on the behemoth and knowing his evil mother Talia al Ghul is listening, she tells his mother to please stop.
But instead, this behemoth who claims to be Damian’s brother, his twin and rival does the unthinkable. And Robin is literally slaughtered.
As you can imagine, this issue was a major shocker and also upset a lot of people who felt that DC Comics went too far in showing a young boy being murdered by a vicious antagonist.
It was one thing for Jason Todd to die in the hands of The Joker (which people voted for) but it was another thing to see the new Robin go down in such a savage way.
But by 2013, comics were not comic books written for children anymore and while no one wants to see any characters die, especially someone as young as Robin, even though he was raised to be a killer. Seeing Damian die in such a savage way was no doubt a shocker, but by no means was I upset. Because one should learn than in “Batman” comic books, major characters just don’t stay dead.